Ned Jarrett is part of one of the oldest families connected with NASCAR racing. He was born on the 12th of October 1932 in the heart of stock car country in Newton, North Carolina. He was one of four children and lived with his parents on their farm, even so Ned was introduced to cars at a very young age, from the age of nine Ned was allowed to drive the family to church on Sunday mornings. This was the start of his love of cars and of driving.Ned started his working life with his brother and father in the family lumber business at 17 but racing was what he really wanted to do. He and his brother in law owned a Sportsman Ford that his brother I law would drive at the racetrack. Ned's parents were very against Ned taking part in racing, telling him he could work on the cars but he was not to race them.
In May of 1952 his brother in law was taken ill but was set to take part in a race so asked if Ned could fill in for him, Ned agreed and he drove in his first race in Hickory, North Carolina under his brother in law's name, and finished 10th in a Sportsman Ford. This worked well, his parents didn't know what was going on so he carried on racing under assumed names until finally he won a race and his father found out that he had been driving In races his father told him that if he was going to race at least do it under his own name. Given the green light by his father Ned drove in his first national race at Darlington Speedway, in 1953, dropping out after ten laps due to an oil leakage. Undeterred he continued to race and became the 1955 track champion at Hickory Motor Speedway, came second driving in the Sportsman Series in 1956 and won the championship in both 1957 and 1958.
In May of 1952 his brother in law was taken ill but was set to take part in a race so asked if Ned could fill in for him, Ned agreed and he drove in his first race in Hickory, North Carolina under his brother in law's name, and finished 10th in a Sportsman Ford. This worked well, his parents didn't know what was going on so he carried on racing under assumed names until finally he won a race and his father found out that he had been driving In races his father told him that if he was going to race at least do it under his own name. Given the green light by his father Ned drove in his first national race at Darlington Speedway, in 1953, dropping out after ten laps due to an oil leakage. Undeterred he continued to race and became the 1955 track champion at Hickory Motor Speedway, came second driving in the Sportsman Series in 1956 and won the championship in both 1957 and 1958.
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